Finances vs. collecting

[disgaeniac]

You're absolutely right, Darko - about having to pay to play!

While that rent money is nice...being a landlord comes w/ a whole, new set of responsibilities, costs, considerations (utilities, snow removal/landscaping, garbage bills, repairs, upkeep, maintenance, etc), and good luck in getting a good & *PAYING* tennant.

[kimimi]

I'd move out in a heartbeat! There's no pleasure in collecting if you have to keep the things you buy out the reach of drunk/slobby housemates - I'd leave and enjoy the freedom!

(I do realise this advise is late and not very helpful in any real practical sense - sorry :S )

[scott]

I would at least see if you can afford renting solo. Nothing says you have to jump into house buying if you can't or could barely afford it. But the privacy and quiet of living alone is so much nicer than having to deal with roommates.

[hymenterror]

Just put up the extra cash and get your own apartment, and don't buy as much for awhile and focus on tackling your gianormous backlog. After awhile of living on your own you'll be able to put things in perspective a whole let easier, and other oppurtunities will come.

[brunauss]

Another thing to consider (what my parents did when they 1st got married) -if you're really interested in buying/owning- would be buying a 2-family home.

Not entirely sure what you mean by a 2-family home... like, going in half-and-half with another person or couple to buy a place, or...? It may be something that's not so common here, or I'm just hitting the tail end of my work day and need more coffee.

Always more coffee. Mmm...coffee.

A lot of people do this with a duplex in the middle of the country. Basically it's two houses joined together by a single wall. Some of them are really nice. I've had friends in the past that bought both units and rented one out to pay for the other. It's not a bad gig but, once again, you have to pay to play.

Half the houses in nearby Ft. Myers and Cape Coral are duplexes. In addition, half of them are in possession by owners living that same exact arrangement. It really works. I considered it as an option, before finding my current home a year ago. I lucked out with this house. The bad real estate market had dropped it from its original $125,000 to the $49,500 I had purchased it for.

[insektmute]

Yeah, the house thing, in any capacity, would be nice and all, but waaaay out of reach even if I were renting out a portion. Just isn't in the cards, I'm afraid.

We'll see what happens, though. I've been talking to my roommate about moving into a larger space, at the very least, and predictably, his general attitude seems to be kind of a "yeah, sure, whatever" thing. He does, thankfully, pay his share of the bills with no hassle, but he also hinted today that he might just up and quit his job in the next month or so, and that doesn't fill me with confidence. Definitely glad I have a bit of a nest egg set aside